Cap applying method and apparatus



Nov. 5, 1968 Filed March 2l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 30 C) 2z Q22@ c/n A. Pea/006A Nov. 5, 1968 Filed March 2l, 1966 J. A. REDDICK CAP APPLYING METHOD AND APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dBA/7 1 moa/@off 3,408,789 CAP APPLYING METHOD AND APPARATUS John A. Reddick, Houston, Tex., assignor to Anderson, Clayton & Co., Houston, rEen., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 536,006 4 Claims. (Cl. 53-315) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE The present invention provides a' device for applying resilient lids to resilient containers. A lid is hooked onto a container moving on a horizontal belt and is bendingly stretched and at the same time forced onto the container through simultaneous contact of the lid with a shoe and a slide. A pivotal lid retainer member is provided on the slide for retaining lids thereon when no container is present to receive a lid for capping purposes.

The present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for applying caps to packing vessels and more particularly to the continuous application of resilient lids to resilient containers.

There are many conventional devices for and methods of continuously capping or applying resilient lids to rigid packing vessels at a high rate of speed. In most instances, such resilient lids are constructed of a diameter or anged peripheral dimenison smaller than that of the rigid container to provide a secure iit and effective seal when the lid is pressed onto the container. Moreover, the conventional continuous capping methods and devices have not been adaptable for use in placing smaller sized resilient lids on larger resilient containers since the usual compressive operations inherent therein cannot function where the container as well as the lid lack rigidity. Unsecure capping or container upset results. Thus it would be highly advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for applying and sealing undersized resilient lids to resilient containers continuously and at a high rate of speed without subjecting the containers to the likelihood of being overturned or tilted in such a' fashion as to spill any of their contents.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for applying undersized resilient lids to resilient containers continuously and at a high rate of speed with certainty and accuracy to prevent upset and spillage of the containers.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus particularly suited for the application of undersized resilient lids to resilient containers which are presented to the sealing operation in very close succession one after another.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved method and apparatus particularly suited for the application of undersized resilient lids to containers having resilient walls where the progressive movement of the containers is quite rapid.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved method and apparatus for applying undersized resilient lids to resilient containers wherein the container is advanced along a substantially horizontal predetermined course, the lid hookingly engages therewith, and is progressively compressed onto the container by engagement of both with shoe means whereby the lid is bent and stretched for poistive sealing application to the container.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention given for the purpose of disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accom- 3,408,789 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 panying drawings, where like character references designate like parts throughout the several views, and where:

FIGURE 1 is a side View of the device of the present lnvention,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of an apparatus for positioning the resilient lids according to the present invention, and

FIGURE 3 is a partial side view showing an undersized resilient lid being applied to a resilient container according to the present invention.

The present invention generally comprises an improved method and apparatus for continuously applying undersized resilient lids to resilient containers in rapid succession by bending and stretching the resilient lid and at the same time applying the lid to a resilient container by progressive compression so that the lid is secured to the container without upset or spillage. The resilient lids and containers according to the present invention are of the type having flanged peripheries or lips interlocking or sealingly engaga'ble with each other by compressive force as opposed to screw type sealing means.

Referring now the drawings and particularly to FIG- URE 1, the reference numeral 10 generally refers to the improved device of the present invention. Associated with but not forming a part of the invention as claimed, is an apparatus 12 for dispensing resilient lids. Furthermore, the present invention is directed to the application of undersized resilient lids to resilient containers wherein it is assumed that such containers have been filled With material to be packaged.

The resilient containers 14 which have been filled with material 16 are shown in FIGURE 1 advancing from right to left in the drawing. The containers 14 are advanced along a substantially horizontal and predetermined course by a power driven continuous belt 18 having spaced lugs 20 vertically projecting therefrom. Guide rails 21 on both sides of the belt 18 maintain the containers in proper position on the belt. The lugs 20 are of sufficient height to supportably engage the flanged periphery or lip 22 of each container 14 so that there is Iboth vertical support along a portion of said lip and a means for pushing the containers as the belt 18 moves.

As an individual container 14 progresses from right to left as shown in FIGURE 1, it approaches a slide 24 spaced at an acute angle above the horizontal belt 18. Resilient lids 26 are continuously placed onto the slide 24 by an arm 28 provided with vacuum means not within the scope of this application. The lid 26 then drops by gravity down the slide 24. It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that the acute angle between the slide 24 and the horizontal belt 18 must be such that a lid 26 drops down the slide 24 by gravity at a speed great enough to promote continuous operation.

The slide 24 is provided at its lower end with a lid retainer 30 pivotally secured thereto by a suitable hinge 32. The lid retainer 30 is better illustrated in FIGURE 2 wherein extension arms 34 are shown, each having a finger 36 at its outer end. The lid retainer 30 has a central port 38 to permit clearance of the narrower support lugs 20 of the continuous belt 18. When there are no containers 14 being advanced by the continuous belt 1S, the lid retainer 30 is unsupported other than by the hinge 32 and is free to swing downward by its own weight into the dotted position 30a as shown in FIGURE 1. Thus, a lid 26 (or lids) within the slide 24 remains positioned within the slide by engagement with the ngers 36 of extension members 34 secured to the lid retainer 30. Suitable switch means not shown may also be combined with the lid retainer 30 to break vacuum action of the arm 28 to prevent deposition 0f lids 26 onto the slide 24 when the lid retainer 30 is in dotted position 30a.

The guide rails 21 provided on both sides of the belt 18 not only position the containers 14, but arrest the downward movement of the lid 26 when the lids are not stopped by the lid retainer 30. Thus,the lid 26, when not retained by the lid retainer 30, is arrested in a position as shown approximately by the dotted outline y42 so that it hookingly engages the lip 22 forward of the container 14 as the container advances with the continuous belt 18.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, the lid 26 is shown being pulled from its arrested position 42 in the slide 24 by the lip 22 forward of the container 14. The lid 26 thus attaches to the lip 22 of the container 14 and such container immediately engages a shoe 44. The shoe 44 is spaced above the continuous belt 18 at a distance only a fraction of an inch greater than the height of a container 14 so that as the container advances the lid 26 is progressively compressed onto the container 14 by engagement with the lip 22 thereof.

Since both the lid 26 and the container 14 are formed of resilient material such as stamped or coined plastic, and since the lid 26 must tit snugly to the container 14 to prevent unintended removal, the lid is normally constructed such that its outer flanged periphery or lip has a smaller diameter or peripheral measurement than that of the container 14. Thus, conventional capping techniques employing uniform compressive force are unsuitable for applying the undersized resilient lids to resilient containers since the snug fitting lid 26 tends to resist seating resulting in most instances in unsecure sealing or upsetting of the container 14 and spillage of material therein. It is this difficulty which the present invention effectively and uniquely overcomes by bending and stretching the lid 26 and progressively compressing it onto the lip 22 of the container 14 as shown in FIGURE 3.

Bending and stretching of the lid 26 is accomplished by spacing the shoe 44 a proper distance from the slide 24, such distance being dictated by the length of the lid 26 as shown in FIGURE 3. When the lid 26 hooks onto the lip 22 of the container 14 and advances into engagement with the shoe 44, the forward edge 26a of the lid is compressed onto the lip 22 forward of the container by the shoe 44 while the rearward edge 2611 of the lid 26 remains in contact with the bottom of the slide 24. As the lid 26 is progressively pulled from the slide, the resulting three-point contact causes the lid to bend and stretch along the periphery of its lip. Continued forward movement of the lid 26 and the container 14 and compressive engagement with the shoe 44 eventually causes the lid to fully seat or interlock with the container 14 by engagement of the lips or flanged peripheries of each.

In operation, the tub or container 14 containing material 16 to be capped is presented to the lid capping device simultaneously with the dropping of the lid 26 onto the gravity slide 24. The lid 26 drops through the slide 24 and one or more such lids (depending upon the length of the slide) are retained by the lid retainer 30 if there is no container 14 in contact therewith. It is to be noted again that the lid retainer 30 is not actuated or contacted by the spaced support lugs of the continuous belt 18 since such lugs are constructed of a width narrow enough topass through the port 38 of the retainer 30. Thus, if there is no container 14 to contact the base of the extension members 34 of the lid retainer 3d, the lid retainer assumes the position a as shown in FIGURE 1 which holds the lid 26 within the slide 24.

When a container 14 contacts the base of the extension members 34 of the lid retainer 30, the lid retainer is forced upward releasing the lid 26 within the slide causing suchlid 26 to `drop into the dotted position 42 caused by the arresting action of the guide rails 21. As the container 14 advances, the lip 22 forward of the container hookingly engages the lid 26 pulling the lid from the slide. The lid 26 and container 14 immediately engage the shoe 44 at their forward ends and the lid 26 is stretchingly bent as it is withdrawn from the slide 24. Continued advance of the container 14 and lid 26 results in progressive compression of the lid 26 onto the container 14 by engagement with the shoe 44. Finally, the rearward edge of the container 14 adjacent the support lug 20 and the lip 22 rearward of the container 14 resting on the support lug 20 cornes into compressive contact with the shoe 44 to complete application of the lid 26 thereto. The capped container is then passed by the conveyor belt 18 to further packaging operations.

Thus provided are an improved method and apparatus for rapidly and continuously applying resilient lids to resilient containers whereby upset of the container during the capping operation is obviated and spillage from the containerfis eliminated. The bending and stretch-ing of the lid as it is applied to the container through progressive compression by the shoe means as described causes uniform capping force which is sufficient to seal the resilient container yet not great enough to distort the shape of the resilient container.

The present invention, therefore, is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as others inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been given for the purpose of disclosure, numerous changes in the detail of construction and the combination, shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. An improved device for capping resilient containers with resilient lids, each having engagable lip means, comprising,

a power driven continuous belt having spaced support lugs projecting therefrom for advancing the containers along a substantially horizontal predetermined course, each lug engaging a container on the belt rearward of the container and supportably under the lip means thereof,

a slide securably spaced at an acute angle above the horizontal belt for passinng the lids forward of the containers such that the forward speed of an individual container causes a lid to hookingly engage therewith,

lid retainer means for coaction with the containers and pivotally secured to the lower end of the slide for retaining lids on the slide when said means is not engage-d by a container, and

shoe means in spaced relation above the horizontal belt and adjacent the lower end of the slide such that upon compressive engagement of the lid and container with said shoe means the lid is bent by contact of its forward end with the container and shoe means and contact of its rearward end with the slide whereby the lid is stretchingly secured to the container as forward motion of both the lid and the container produces engagement of the lips of each.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the shoe means comprises,

a plate secured in parallel relation above the continuous belt and spaced therefrom at no more than a distance great enough such that the 4plate contacts a lid on a container so as to compressingly engage said lid with said container.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the lid retainer 65 means includes,

an elongated lid retainer member pivotally secured to the lower end of the slide so as to be contacted by a container on the horizontal belt and having a central port therein for clearance of the support lugs of the belt,

first and second extension arms secured to said retainer member Aon either side of the port therein and projecting upwardly, and

each said extension arm terminating inwardly and downwardly with a finger for engagement with a lid on the slide when the retainer member is not contacted by a container on the horizontal belt. 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein, the shoe means comprises a plate secured in parallel relation above the continuous belt and spaced therefrom at only a distance great enough such that the plate contacts a lid on a container so as to compressingly engage said lid with said container, and the lid retainer means includes,

an elongate lid retainer member pivotally secured to the lower end of the slide so as to be contacted by a container on the horizontal belt and having a central port therein for clearance of the support lugs of the belt, rst and second extension arms secured to said retainer member on either side of the port therein and projecting upwardly, and each said extension arm terminating inwardly and downwardly with a linger for engagement with a lid on the slide when the retainer member is not contacted by a container on the horizontal References Cited belt.

UNITED WILLIAM W. DYER,

STATES PATENTS Day 53-314 Thoren 53-316 Anderson et al. 53-314X Wilcox 53-128 Mueller 53-37 Tordi 53-316 West 53-313 X JR., Primary Examiner.

R. L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner, 

